Chronologic change of serum IgG antibody response in chickens reinfected with Cryptosporidium baileyi.

Eight 2-day-old SPF chickens were each inoculated orally with a single dose of 5 x 10(5) oocysts of Cryptosporidium baileyi, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody responses were chronologically measured by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) assay. Anti-C. baileyi IgG antibody levels remained high (1:106.67 to 1:512.00) for at least 4 months with 330 days of a detectable period. Ten days after the negative conversion, each chicken was re-challenged with 1 x 10(7) oocysts of the same species. Subsequent infection in 340-day-old individuals caused sudden elevated IgG antibody levels and the titer peaked on day 28 postchallenge inoculation (PCI), at 1:1.024 with a 65 days of detection period. Chickens in primary infection showed oocyst shedding profiles, but did not exhibit any oocyst shedding before or after experimental reinfection.